Machine-gun.



Patented-Jan. I; I901.

E. W. JETER.

MACHINE. GUN. Application filed Aug. 31, 1999.)

2 Shoots-Shea! I.

(No Model.)

No. 664,952 Patented Ian. I, I90l.

EJW. JETER.

MACHINE GUN.

(Application filed Aug. 31, 1899.)

(Ila lfiodal.) 2 Shaets8ho'et 2.

wznesses;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDMOND JETER, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA,ASSIGN OR OF TWO-THIRDS TO B.- M. BLACKBURN, J. H. SPILMAN, AND M. L. BICKART, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE-GUN.

SPECIFIdATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,952, dated. January 1, 1901.

Serial No. 729,137. mo model.)

To aZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMOND W. JETEB, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Atlanta, in the county of Eulton and Stateof Georgia, have made a certain new and useful Improvement in Machine- Guns; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.-

the construction of devices of this class and to render them more rapid in their operation by quickening the action thereof and so con structing the same as to obviate the delays caused by heating of the barrels under rapid service.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows:

Figure 1 is aside elevation of the gun ready for firing. Fig.2 is a rear elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a face view of the firing-hammer, and Fig. 4 is an edge view thereof. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of the shaft of the device, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section thereof, showof the cylinder. Fig.8 is a'detail of the firingpin,showing a sectional view of the back plate. Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the barrels, showing the front plate thereof in back elevation.

thestock and carrying on suitabletrnnnions 5 the circle 6, which consists of a circular plate of the desired thickness, having an annular flange around its edge, at or near the upper side thereof, and a pivoting-pin 7, (shown The object of this invention is to simplify ing the telescopic action. Fig. 7 is a face view- In the figures like reference-marks indicate by broken lines'in Fig. 1,) whereon the gun upper side of the plate 8 is the back plate 11,

which is,more.properly speaking, the breechblock of the gun. This plate 11 carries on its back sidealug 12, which is perforated for the passage of the shaft 13, as is also the said plate. Also secured to the plate Sis another upwardly-projecting element 14,, which is made in the form of a. pillow-block, its central aperture being sufliciently large to carry the back plate 15- of .the barrels 16, which fits and is adapted to freely revolve in said pillow-block as a bearing. The barrels 1.6 are also secured at their front ends to a circular plate or wheel 17, which, together with the plate 15, is mounted revolubly on the shaft 18, secured to the standard-l9, secured to and projecting upwardly from the front end of the arm 10. The barrels when the number shown in Fig. 9 is used are arranged as there shown and as indicated in said figure, being marked a, b, c, and d, the barrels of each set be ing marked with acorresponding letter and being brought into play in sets, as hereinafter specified. Where a greater or less n umber of barrels is used, the arrangementwould be different; but the result would be the same, three barrels being deemed sufl'icient to have in use at a" time, the greater number of barrels in the gun merely lessening the frequency of the use of each set. Notches are cut in the plate 15,.and a le'ver21 throws into the desired one of these notches when the -barrels are properly set to register-with the {desired one of the chambers in the. cylinder-that is, the one of said chambers which is opposite the firing-pin-and this also applies when two or three barrels are to be used. This-lever 21 is notched on its upper side and forms when depressed into locking position one point'of thesights of the gun.

Between the upwardly-projecting plates 11 and 14 is set the cylinder 22, which is provided with a multiplicity of circular rows or series of chambers concentrically arranged,-

as shown in Fig. 7. Obviously there may be 28 serves to turn said shaft.

as many series of these chamber series as desired, and a commensurate number of barrels will be used therewith, and there may be as many chambers in each series as may be desired or for which there is room in said cylinder. Pivoted on a pin 23, secured to the plates 11 and 14, either or both, is a lever 25, the inner end of which is concaved or curved to the circumference of the cylinder and rests thereunder, and the outer end is conveniently provided with a handhold for moving the said lever upon its ivotal point and raising thereby the said cy inder into such a position that it will roll out of its working position and be easily handled by one of the men handling the gun. The cylinder 22 is provided with a central hole 26,, which'is preferably square, as shown. The shaft 13 revolves freely in a hearing 27, secured to the arm 9, its inner end being passed just through the plate 11. A crank This shaft is hollow, with a key-seat in its interior wall, and through the hole therein passes the plunger or lock-pin 29, which is provided with a spline and slides longitudinally in and of said shaft, its inner end being squared at 32 to fit'the apertdre in the center of the cylinder and its outer end being provided with a knob 31, aifording a convenient handheld for the operator in withdrawing said pin. 0n

the shaft 13, between the plate 11 and the.

bearing 27, is a wheel 33, which is provided on its side with ratchet-teeth extending, radially from center to circumference and being provided, as common, with ratchet-teeth with an inclined and an axial side. These teeth are of the same number as there are chambers in the series thereof in the cylinder having the largest number of chambers, as the said teeth each operate a hammer by cocking and releasing same. Passing through and suitably set in the plate 11 are firing-pins 34 of any of the well-known forms of construction, and mounted over the same'are hammers 35 in the form of a curved lever, the tail 36 thereof being extended into the plane of the ratchet-teeth on the wheel 33. A spring 37 serves to press the hammer against the back end of the firing-pin. These hammers and firing-pins are set in the plate and secured thereto in such a position as to be exactly opposite the barrels which it is desired to use when said barrels are in firing position and there looked, as hereinbefore described.

39 is a block, of which there is one under each hammer and which when turned so as to stand upright under same will prevent the hammer fromengaging the teeth of the dentated wheel and so preventv the action of that hammer uponfthe; corresponding firing-pin. This block'is moun'tedon the end of a short shaft 40, revolubly mounted in a lug 41 and manipulated by means of a crank or handwheel 42, secured to its outer end, all of which is shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Secured to the under side of the arms 9 and 10 are blocks 43 and 44, respectively, the

former of which is stationary thereon, the latter being revoluble in a horizontal plane,

whereby it may be caused to engage and disengage the flange on the circle 6. The block 43 also engages the said flange, and a screw 45, passing through said block and bcin g pro- .vided with a hand-wheel or crank 46, bears on the edge of the said circle 6 and so locks the circles 6 and 8 in any position. This provides for securing the gun in any horizontal adjustment.

The elevating mechanism consists of a toothed segment 47, pivoted to the under side of the block 43 and passing downwardly therefrom, its lower end being guided, if desired, in a suitable guide set in thc'stock of the gun. A worm-gear 48 engages the said segment and by its revolution by means of the crank actuates the said segment in its movements upwardly and downwardly. With this construction of elevating mechanism only the relatively small directing movements of the gun are accomplished by swinging same on the swiveled plate 6, the greater directing movement being made by moving the entire carriage by the trail, as usual in field-pieces.

The operation of this device is as follows: The three barrels whichit is desired to use are turned into position opposite the chamoers in the cylinder registering with the firingpins and locked by allowing the locking-lever to fall into position engagingone of the notches in the back plate of said barrels, and a loaded cylinder is dropped into place,resting its lower side on the upper side of the lever 25. The pin 29 is pressed into place with its squared portion 32 entering the correlatively-shaped hole in the cylinder, and thereby pivoting same and connecting same operatively with the shaft 13, which is operated by the crank thereon, the revolution of said shaft also causing the revolution of the dentated wheel33 and tripping the hammers, the inclinedsides of the teeth thereon contacting with the tails .of the hammers, retracting them and allowing them to fall in obedience to the action of their springs as soon as said tails ha e passed off of the inclined faces of the teeth. It will thus be seen that one revolution of the shaft 13 will fire a complete cylinder, which experience shows may conveniently contain one hundred and twenty cartridges, although more or less might be used. It will be supposed that the set-ct of barrels has been thus used until they are heated to an objectionable degree. By reference to Fig. 9 it will be seen that a quarter-revolution of the barrels on their axes will present the set I) in apposition to the proper chambers of the cylinder, and they may be used, allowing the set a to cool. It is thus seen that there will be no delays whatever due to the heating of the barrels and that these barrels are the only parts of the gun which are liable to heat. When one cylinder is fired, 'man No. 2 will depress the outer end of the lever 25, raising the empty cylinder, which will roll down the lever and be caught by him, after which the lever will fall to its normal position as he removes the cylinder, and man No. 3 will place'a loaded cylinder in place, the gunner opening the locking-pin 29, withdrawing it for the removal of the cylinder, and pressing it in after the replacing thereof.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In a machine-gun, a cylinder and a hammer and a multiplicity of barrels mounted on and revoluble around a common center, a notched plate carrying one end of said barrels, and a lever stationaril y pivoted, notched on its upper end to form a sightand adapted when depressed to engage one of said notches.

2 In a machine-gun, a barrel, a cylinder and means for pivoting said cylinder so as to be revoluble with its chambers successively registering with said barrel, and means for lifting said cylinder consisting of a curved lever pivoted near said cylinder and lying transversely of and below same, in such inanner that when elevated its trio with said cylinder.

curve is concen- 3. In a machine-gun, a barrel and a cylinder, a hammer adapted to fire the loaded chambers of said cylinder, a hollow shaft mounted concentrically of said cylinder and carrying a cam adapted to retract-said ham mer, and a pin sliding in said shaft and rev oluble therewith, its-end adapted to enter and engage said cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose specified. I

4. In a machine-gun, 'a series of barrels and a-cylinder in apposition thereto, a breechplate back of said cylinder and a hammer mounted thereon consisting of a springpressed lever, means for cooking and releas- EDMOND W. JETER.

Witnesses:

ALBERT P. Woon, L. B. DAILEY'; 

